GCC will increase presence of armed peace officer
Press Release, Genesee Community College
BATAVIA – A recent “changing of the guard” at Genesee Community College will result in expanding the armed peace officer force at the college’s Batavia Campus. With the retirement of a veteran Campus Safety officer, the Board of Trustees approved replacing the position with another peace officer whose presence will increase the level of security on campus through his or her additional knowledge, experience and the authority to conduct investigations, make arrests, and carry firearms on campus.
“We will increase the number of hours that an armed peace officer will be on campus, further safeguarding our students and campus community,” James M. Sunser, president of GCC, explained to the Board of Trustees at last week’s monthly meeting. “A peace officer brings additional training, credentials as well as the ‘tools’ to do the job.”
GCC will be following the Civil Service protocol and process to hire the peace officer early in the new year.
In other business at the meeting, the Board of Trustees:
• Approved a Resolution of Appreciation recognizing Laura J. Bohm and her 25 years of service as a Board Trustee to GCC during two separate periods, specifically 1986-2001 and 2008-2018. Mrs. Bohm’s integrity, dedication, loyalty and her enthusiastic support of GCC were among the many qualities cited in the resolution.
• Heard a report about the College’s awarding-winning 360 Degree Virtual Tour from two members of the College’s Admissions Office. Assistant Dean of Admissions and Recruitment Lindsay Gerhardt and Recruitment Communication Specialist Becky Green provided a demonstration of the 360 Degree Tour which offers a unique, 9-minute review of multiple “stops” across the college. From numerous classrooms and labs to the television studio, the Steiner Theatre to the Roz Steiner Art Gallery, the athletic facilities to the outdoor Nature Trail, downtown Batavia as well as the six Campus Centers-the Virtual Tour provides viewers with a unique, interactive opportunity to see all GCC offers. Earlier this year, the 360 Degree Virtual Tour won a bronze Telly Award as well as a gold Paragon Award from the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations.
• Heard of the appointment of two new employees. As the new Assistant Director for Human Resources, Allison M. Agnello brings extensive knowledge of and experience with Genesee Community College. She joins the HR team after four years as the assistant manager of the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at GCC. She earned her Bachelor’s in Human Services from Empire State College and her Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Medaille College. She resides in Batavia.
Patricia S. Furness, the new assistant director for GCC Operations, also brings a wealth of related college experience. She served as a campus center associate at GCC’s Albion Campus Center for 27 years helping with course planning, data analysis, academic advisement, marketing, program coordination and technical support. She is a GCC alumnus and earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from Empire State College. She resides in Kent.
• Heard President Sunser share that as a result of external mandates, there are various required trainings that the college must provide. Some of this training is conducted upon hire, which includes Hazard Communication: Right to Understand, Workplace Violence, FERPA: Confidentiality of Records, Sexual Harassment: Staff to Staff, Title IX & Sexual Misconduct, and Responsible Employee Training. Other trainings are done annually, periodically or as-needed. This past month, Human Resources provided via SafeColleges (an online training program) Campus SaVE Act (Sexual Violence Awareness) training to all employees.
